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USA Today
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tracee Ellis Ross always brings four suitcases. Her 'bring it all' packing philosophy.
In the first episode of 'Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross,' the actress lingers in the lobby of her Morocco hotel trying to decide whether she wants to get a drink or not. 'One of the many advantages of solo traveling is that you can change your plans last minute,' she says in voiceover. 'I don't feel like going out anymore, and no one gets upset.' She turns around and orders room service instead. The three-episode show, which premiered Friday on The Roku Channel, follows Ross on vacations to Marrakech; Mexico's Riviera Maya; and Marbella, Spain, highlighting the joys of exploring the world on your own. Ross, who is also a producer and the founder of PATTERN Beauty, spoke to USA TODAY about her love of solo trips, airplane etiquette and why she usually has at least four checked bags. This interview was edited and condensed for clarity. You mention in the show that you've been solo traveling since your 20s. What do you enjoy about solo travel in particular? I really like my own company. I like being by myself. You know, I live a very full and jam-packed life. I often am working seven days a week and working when I'm on vacation, and doing things. And so it's an opportunity for me to allow the dust to settle and for life to kind of integrate into my being. I really enjoy the luxury of being. I do a lot of doing in my life. And so there's something about solo travel – the kind of solo travel that I do, because some people go on solo travel for adventure, some people go to meet people, some people go to sort of be away from their lives. The kind that I do really is about being, and I gain a muscle strength, which I liken to a baseball player that swings with two bats and then gets up to plate and swings with one. I feel like solo travel is a little bit like swinging with two bats, and I gain a muscle strength around the ability to hold my own self with confidence out in the world. I come back and you're like, going to a party by yourself is no big deal. I was curious what it was like documenting the travels, as opposed to other types of solo trips you might have taken in the past? It was weird. The first episode was weird. I was very uncomfortable. It was interesting. It was very important to me that we included the packing as part of the show, my packing and my travel and sort of what that experience is for me, because that's the sort of authentic truth of it. And I didn't want cameras in my home, so when we figured out how to do the cell phone and record that way, it ended up being one of the best tools on the show, because I was able to do that in a lot of the intimate moments where there wasn't the ability to have a camera person there, and that helped the experience feel more intimate. The other thing that we ended up doing, I recorded a lot of the quiet moments where there's no talking, and that's what happens when you're solo traveling. And then when we were in the editing process, there was the discovery that as much as that sort of reportage, what do you call it? Like, that documentary feeling, that it needed a voiceover, sort of an inner dialog voiceover. So, as opposed to it being written, it was really me talking my thoughts, and I thought that helped me feel more comfortable with what I was sharing, so that the experience of, 'Can you be yourself by yourself out in the world?', which is really what the underlying theme of the show is, felt articulated in that way. We get to see in the show your very meticulous packing process. What is one of your travel must haves that you always bring? Well, I always bring a medical kit, and that's both one that, you know, has a tourniquet, like, Band-Aids and Neosporin, and also your basics like Theraflu and anti-nausea (medication) and stuff like that, just in case. … The other is a pillow. It's a must have. I have a smaller pillow that will go in an onboard roller bag, because I know that I have expressed this and I think I talk about it in the show that I am a checked-bag girl. One of my packing philosophies is BIA, which is, 'bring it all.' I often check a minimum of four bags. And then I also talk about how I prepare for beauty and disaster. I also, in my carry-on, have a very meticulously and strategically put together bag that if the luggage doesn't arrive, I can still look chic and be fine for an extended period of time before I can get to a store. And so those things are really important to me. But, yeah, I kind of think it all through. I'm like, is it going to rain? Isn't it going to rain? We all know that now, the weather changes every day, so I have it all. Do you have a favorite travel memory from shooting? I really enjoyed the olive oil (tasting) in Spain. I felt very tickled and also silly that I didn't know that the majority of the olive oil in the world comes from Spain; I thought it was Italy, and I'm like, 'Oh, how did I not know that?' Who knew there were so many shades of yellow and green in olive oil, and who knew that olive oil could be just as intricate and expressive as wine? And I thought that was really amazing. Morocco and the nut carts were (some) of my favorites. Who knew, again, that a cart of nuts could be like a beautiful display of art? Also the 'Red City,' Marrakech, and that beautiful, sort of dusty rose color was one of my favorite, favorite things I experienced in the travel. Do you have a preferred way that you like to travel? We saw you flying in the show but are there other ways, like train or cruise travel, that you enjoy? Up until this moment, I have not been a cruise person at all, but I won't say that that's out of the question. I love flying. I'm an easy flyer. Growing up, I did a lot of taking a train because I went to school in Switzerland … and so I really find there's a real civility to the train that I quite enjoy. But due to my luggage, the train is not my preferred (method), and the airplane is the most easy. Do you have any travel pet peeves, things that bug you while you travel? Oh, I have many. People that cough and don't cover their mouth is just – I just don't understand. I'm sorry, I do not. I mean, put your face in your shirt. It's not that hard. People that go into the bathroom on the airplane in bare feet – I'm at a loss here. I want to help those people understand what is actually happening in the bathroom. … It's sort of airplane etiquette, being in tight, personal spaces with people and the different etiquette that people have. I just sometimes am at a loss why people don't have more courtesy for their fellow human than is right next to them, especially after COVID, and how we learned how easy it really is to protect yourself. Is there anything that you like to splurge on when you travel? I think the biggest is in time. I let myself sleep. Like if I want to stay up and watch my iPad and binge until 2 o'clock in the morning, so be it. If I want to sleep late, I sleep late. If I want to take an afternoon nap, I take an afternoon nap. If I want to have a glass of wine at lunch, I have a glass of wine at lunch and then take a nap. So, I think time is really the luxury for me on solo vacations and following my own pace and my own heart around. The splurge financially – I'm not really a shopper on solo travel. I did in Morocco, because how could you not? Like, it was just something that had to be experienced. But it's not a thing that I do. I'm not a person who goes to a gift shop or even has to go find this or that somewhere. I love museums and restaurants and things like that more in travel. But I do love extravagant first classes. And I do love a hotel room that if I am too anxious and can't sort of experience out there on my own, that I would be fine in my hotel room and in my hotel. Great American Vacation: Josh Gad's favorite travel splurge isn't what you'd expect For someone who hasn't traveled on their own and they're not used to it, do you have any tips for taking your first solo trip? I absolutely do. If you have the impulse to solo travel but you're nervous and you've never done it before, the first thing I suggest is that you go to dinner on a Wednesday night at 6 o'clock when a restaurant opens and see how you do. If you do well on that, try a Friday or Saturday night at 8 p.m. when it is jam packed with couples and groups of people. If you can accomplish that and feel good about it, I then suggest that you take a solo trip. If you still feel nervous about that, then you can either tack on a couple of days on your own during a trip that's already been planned with other people, or go somewhere you've been with other people on your own, so that you know what to expect from that environment. The other thing I ask people to ask themselves is, what kind of solo trip are you looking for? Do you want a solo trip of adventure, to meet people, to relax by yourself? It'll help you define where it is you want to go. And then the last thing that I think is incredibly important is, if you're traveling on your own, I suggest that people treat it like dating in that (you) let somebody know where you're going, give them your itinerary, so they can check on you and know where you are. And also if there are parts of your identity that perhaps will leave you vulnerable in a foreign place, perhaps if you are a woman on your own, a Black woman, LGBTQ, differently abled, anything that might perhaps be perceived as a vulnerability out in the world, do your due diligence to the best of your ability to find a location that you will be safe there. Obviously there's the unexpected, but that you can, to the best of your ability, make sure that you will be safe where you go.


New York Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Well Festival Live Updates: Joy Through Movement, Fixing Relationships and Other Routes to Happiness
The first-ever Well Festival, hosted by the Well desk of The New York Times, runs from 9:30 a.m. Eastern to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. A livestream is available here. Below is the full schedule and a brief description of each of the 13 panels, covering love and relationships, the quest for joy, facing adversity, protecting mental health, aging well and many other issues that matter to us all. 9:35 a.m. 'Building a Life of Joy' Tracee Ellis Ross — the former star of 'black-ish,' current owner of PATTERN Beauty and future star of 'Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross' — is known for her joyful demeanor. She speaks with Lori Leibovich, the editor of The Times's Well desk, about what brings her that joy and what the rest of us can do to get more of it in our own lives. 10 a.m. 'Finding Meaning in the Face of Adversity' Suleika Jaouad burst into the public eye in 2012 with 'Life, Interrupted,' a column in The Times in which she wrote about facing cancer in her 20s. Since then, she has faced two recurrences, most recently last year. Throughout, she has been open about leukemia's impact on her life, including in her memoir 'Between Two Kingdoms.' Patia Braithwaite, an editor on the Well desk, will interview her. 10:30 a.m. 'Protecting Your Happiness in the Age of Social Media' Dani Blum, a Well reporter, will moderate a conversation between Lisa Damour, a psychologist specializing in children's and teenagers' health, and Gabriela Nguyen, the founder of Appstinence, a student organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that encourages people to quit social media — as Ms. Nguyen did herself. 11:15 a.m. 'How to Fix Your Relationships' Terry Real is a family therapist, author and public speaker who specializes in relationships. Jancee Dunn, the author of Well's newsletter, will interview him about how couples can build more satisfying lives together, avoid common interpersonal mistakes and fix problems in their relationships and sex lives. 11:40 a.m. 'Getting Honest With Ourselves: A Conversation About Mental Health' Charlamagne Tha God is known for interviewing public figures on his radio show 'The Breakfast Club' — and for his openness about depression, anxiety and addiction. He will talk with Astead Herndon, a national politics reporter for The Times, about how he manages his mental health and what needs to change to reduce stigma, especially in Black communities. 1:25 p.m. 'Food as Nourishment, Community and Happiness' Samin Nosrat is the author of the cookbook 'Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,' and Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who hosts the podcast 'The Science of Happiness.' The Times food writer Kim Severson will investigate how they think about cooking and food as sources of pleasure and community. 1:55 p.m. 'What We've Learned From 80 Years of Happiness Research' The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest-running study of human happiness, and Dr. Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is its current director. Susan Dominus, a Times reporter who wrote a recent profile of Dr. Waldinger, will interview him about the study's findings and how we can apply them to our own lives. 2:25 p.m. 'Movement for Joy' It's easy to see exercise as a chore. But Robin Arzón, an endurance athlete and head instructor for Peloton, and Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University, have found it to be a source of joy. They will discuss revelatory fitness with Danielle Friedman, a frequent Well contributor who wrote a book about women's exercise culture. 3:05 p.m. 'How to Find Joy in an Anxious World' Dan Harris, a former journalist, began meditating after having a panic attack on national television — and then wrote a book called '10% Happier.' Sara Bareilles is a singer, songwriter and Broadway star who opened up a few years ago about her experiences with depression and anxiety. Along with Dacher Keltner, making a second appearance at the festival, they will discuss how they cope. 3:35 p.m. 'Can You Make Peace With Your Body?' Jameela Jamil, best known for playing the name-dropping socialite Tahani Al-Jamil in 'The Good Place,' has been outspoken about her struggles with eating disorders and body image. Lisa Miller, a Well reporter, will interview her about her advocacy for body positivity, as well as how she found peace with her body and how others might do the same. 4:05 p.m. 'The Science of Aging Well' Dr. Peter Attia is a podcast host who promotes an aggressive regimen to prevent chronic disease and maximize health late in life. Kate Lowenstein, the deputy editor of Well, will interview him about his fitness, nutrition and sleep routines, and whether an average person can emulate a program for which his practice charges tens of thousands of dollars a year. 4:35 p.m. 'The Stories We Tell in Love and Relationships' Orna Guralnik is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who counsels real couples in the docu-series 'Couples Therapy,' a new season of which airs on May 22. In a conversation with Caitlin Roper, the executive producer for scripted film and television at The Times, she will speak about the stories we tell in love and relationships. 5 p.m. 'Being the M.V.P. of Your Own Life' Dwyane Wade, an N.B.A. Hall of Fame shooting guard, will talk to Marc Lacey, a managing editor at The Times, about masculinity, vulnerability, fatherhood, and how and why he has become healthier since leaving basketball.


New York Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Well Festival: Live Interviews About Health and Happiness
The first-ever Well Festival, hosted by the Well desk of The New York Times, runs from 9:30 a.m. Eastern to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. A livestream is available here. Below is the full schedule and a brief description of each of the 13 panels, covering love and relationships, the quest for joy, facing adversity, protecting mental health, aging well and many other issues that matter to us all. 9:35 a.m. 'Building a Life of Joy' Tracee Ellis Ross — the former star of 'black-ish,' current owner of PATTERN Beauty and future star of 'Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross' — is known for her joyful demeanor. She speaks with Lori Leibovich, the editor of The Times's Well desk, about what brings her that joy and what the rest of us can do to get more of it in our own lives. 10 a.m. 'Finding Meaning in the Face of Adversity' Suleika Jaouad burst into the public eye in 2012 with 'Life, Interrupted,' a column in The Times in which she wrote about facing cancer in her 20s. Since then, she has faced two recurrences, most recently last year. Throughout, she has been open about leukemia's impact on her life, including in her memoir 'Between Two Kingdoms.' Patia Braithwaite, an editor on the Well desk, will interview her. 10:30 a.m. 'Protecting Your Happiness in the Age of Social Media' Dani Blum, a Well reporter, will moderate a conversation between Lisa Damour, a psychologist specializing in children's and teenagers' health, and Gabriela Nguyen, the founder of Appstinence, a student organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that encourages people to quit social media — as Ms. Nguyen did herself. 11:15 a.m. 'How to Fix Your Relationships' Terry Real is a family therapist, author and public speaker who specializes in relationships. Jancee Dunn, the author of Well's newsletter, will interview him about how couples can build more satisfying lives together, avoid common interpersonal mistakes and fix problems in their relationships and sex lives. 11:40 a.m. 'Getting Honest With Ourselves: A Conversation About Mental Health' Charlamagne Tha God is known for interviewing public figures on his radio show 'The Breakfast Club' — and for his openness about depression, anxiety and addiction. He will talk with Astead Herndon, a national politics reporter for The Times, about how he manages his mental health and what needs to change to reduce stigma, especially in Black communities. 1:25 p.m. 'Food as Nourishment, Community and Happiness' Samin Nosrat is the author of the cookbook 'Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,' and Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who hosts the podcast 'The Science of Happiness.' The Times food writer Kim Severson will investigate how they think about cooking and food as sources of pleasure and community. 1:55 p.m. 'What We've Learned From 80 Years of Happiness Research' The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest-running study of human happiness, and Dr. Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is its current director. Susan Dominus, a Times reporter who wrote a recent profile of Dr. Waldinger, will interview him about the study's findings and how we can apply them to our own lives. 2:25 p.m. 'Movement for Joy' It's easy to see exercise as a chore. But Robin Arzón, an endurance athlete and head instructor for Peloton, and Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University, have found it to be a source of joy. They will discuss revelatory fitness with Danielle Friedman, a frequent Well contributor who wrote a book about women's exercise culture. 3:05 p.m. 'How to Find Joy in an Anxious World' Dan Harris, a former journalist, began meditating after having a panic attack on national television — and then wrote a book called '10% Happier.' Sara Bareilles is a singer, songwriter and Broadway star who opened up a few years ago about her experiences with depression and anxiety. Along with Dacher Keltner, making a second appearance at the festival, they will discuss how they cope. 3:35 p.m. 'Can You Make Peace With Your Body?' Jameela Jamil, best known for playing the name-dropping socialite Tahani Al-Jamil in 'The Good Place,' has been outspoken about her struggles with eating disorders and body image. Lisa Miller, a Well reporter, will interview her about her advocacy for body positivity, as well as how she found peace with her body and how others might do the same. 4:05 p.m. 'The Science of Aging Well' Dr. Peter Attia is a podcast host who promotes an aggressive regimen to prevent chronic disease and maximize health late in life. Kate Lowenstein, the deputy editor of Well, will interview him about his fitness, nutrition and sleep routines, and whether an average person can emulate a program for which his practice charges tens of thousands of dollars a year. 4:35 p.m. 'The Stories We Tell in Love and Relationships' Orna Guralnik is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who counsels real couples in the docu-series 'Couples Therapy,' a new season of which airs on May 22. In a conversation with Caitlin Roper, the executive producer for scripted film and television at The Times, she will speak about the stories we tell in love and relationships. 5 p.m. 'Being the M.V.P. of Your Own Life' Dwyane Wade, an N.B.A. Hall of Fame shooting guard, will talk to Marc Lacey, a managing editor at The Times, about masculinity, vulnerability, fatherhood, and how and why he has become healthier since leaving basketball.